Hello @r-package-devel, Reading from the following guide, I understand that file paths in my R package should remain under 100 bytes long:
https://cran.r-project.org/doc/manuals/R-exts.html#Package-structure-1 The only explanation I could find stands within the same line in this document: /> packages are normally distributed as tarballs, and these have a limit on path lengths: for maximal portability / So, if I understand correctly, the limit set by CRAN is deferred to some limit of the `tar` archive format. Now, reading from the following page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar_(computing)#File_format I learn that `tar` was indeed limited to 100-bytes paths prior to POSIX.1-1988. If I understand correctly. This limitation has been bumped to 256 bytes in year 1988. Then, it has been completely lifted in 2001, meaning that POSIX.1-2001-compliant `tar` files have no limit on the file path lengths. Although I do understand the importance of ensuring backward-compatibility, I find it suprising that the 100-bytes limitation ensures compatibility with files format /*older than R itself*/ (1993, right?). Considering that the limitation is suprisingly short by modern standards, I have two questions about it: - Is the 100-bytes paths limitation only supposed to ensure compatilbility with pre-POSIX.1-1998 `tar` files? - If not, then I believe it should be stated in the official guide what are the other reasons to set such a low limit. - If yes, then I believe the limitation should either: - be reconsidered. For example, it could be lifted for packages targetting R versions posterior to 2021 (20 years after POSIX.1-2001) or anything similar. - be justified deeper in the official guide. The guide should explain why CRAN considers it meaningful or important to support pre-POSIX.1-1998 format. - Has this discussion already happened like 1000 times <https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-package-devel> ? If so, then I believe the answers should be clarified in the official guide anyway. Thank you for kind responses, I am happy to help pushing this forward if required. Best regards, -- Iago-lito [[alternative HTML version deleted]] ______________________________________________ R-package-devel@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-package-devel
